Dhaka leader threatens India’s Northeast, alleges destabilization plot

Guwahati: Hasnat Abdullah, a senior leader of Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party, on Monday warned that Dhaka could shelter anti-India forces and isolate India’s northeastern states if New Delhi attempted to destabilize Bangladesh.

Speaking at an all-party protest rally at Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar, Abdullah accused India of backing “chaos-creators” and efforts to derail Bangladesh’s electoral process, drawing loud applause from sections of the gathering.

He claimed Bangladesh could provide sanctuary to separatist and hostile groups and use that leverage to “sever the Seven Sisters” from India, referring to the northeastern states.

The remarks carry strategic significance as Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram share land borders with Bangladesh.

Abdullah also linked India to the recent attack on election candidate and right-wing activist Osman Hadi, rejecting the Election Commission’s description of the incident as isolated.

India has previously accused militant outfits in the Northeast of using Bangladeshi territory as safe havens and transit routes, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Groups such as the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force were allegedly supported through camps across the border during that period.

Indian agencies also flagged Islamist groups like HuJI and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh for cross-border extremist activities affecting eastern India.

Security ties improved after Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2009, when Bangladesh launched a crackdown on insurgent groups targeting India.

Abdullah, known for his anti-India stance, also accused New Delhi of harbouring political “terrorists” from Bangladesh’s banned Awami League.

He called for a future parliament opposed to “Indian hegemony” and downplayed India’s role in the 1971 Liberation War.